Kamala is brat: How a pop phenomenon took over culture and politics

US Vice President Kamala Harris and British pop star Charli XCX seem worlds apart. The former helps run a nation, while the latter spins records. But this week, the pair collided, merging politics with pop culture in a way few saw coming.

After President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign and endorsed Harris to become the Democratic presidential nominee on Monday, a wave of Hollywood celebrities expressed support for the former legal eagle. However, it was Charli’s endorsement that sent social media into “Speed Drive”.

Brat pack: Kamala Harris and Charli XCX.

The 31-year-old artist, who caught pop lovers’ attention last month with her sixth studio album brat, declared on X (formerly Twitter) that “Kamala IS brat”. The succinct statement triggered a major response online, attracting more than 35 million views.

Harris’ presidential campaign has since become inundated with bright-green cover art, coconuts and “Momala” memes. For the uninitiated, this may be “girl, so confusing”. So, let’s break down what it means to “be brat”, and why Harris’ embrace of the moniker has meme-ified her campaign.

What is ‘brat’?

Since Charli released brat on June 7, the album has reached No.3 on the Billboard 200 album chart, making it her highest-charting album in the United States to date. Its honest lyrics and bumpin’ club beats resonated with fans so much that it inspired a new kind of lifestyle, one Charli describes as “brat summer”.

According to the pop star, a brat is “a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes”.

“[Someone] who feels herself but then also maybe has a breakdown, but kind of like parties through it,” she said on TikTok. “[They’re] very honest, very blunt, a little bit volatile.”

Visually, “brat summer” is defined by a bright lime green – that of the album’s simple cover art – Y2K club-rat clothing and a messy-yet-chic vibe (think tangled headphone cables and unbrushed hair, but stylish).

What does Kamala have to do with it?

Once Charli expressed her support for the presumptive Democratic nominee, Harris’ team leapt at the opportunity to entice younger voters. The banner of her official rapid response page on X, “Kamala HQ”, was stripped of its capital letters and made to mimic the style of the brat cover art (black text over a lime green background).

Has Harris rocked up to press conferences in a green pantsuit? No (not yet, at least), but her embrace of “brat summer” has certainly intrigued Gen Z and Millennial voters, encouraging them to weave Harris’ name into brat lyrics, such as “Kamala is so Julia” (a reference to 360), and overlay footage of her past speeches with lime green.

In typical internet fashion, other memes have entered the fold. This includes the “coconut tree” meme, which was inspired by a line from one of Harris’ speeches last May about advancing opportunities for Hispanic Americans.

“[My mother] would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?’,” she said at the time.

US Vice President Kamala Harris is looking to lure young voters to her campaign.Credit: AP

The last sentence was quickly taken out of context online, initially by a YouTube channel trying to discredit the Democratic Party, and then more positively by Harris supporters.

Consequently, coconuts have become an unofficial symbol for the vice president’s campaign, and is now being merged with brat lyrics and Shrek green on X to demonstrate Harris’ perceived relatability and “cool girl” persona.

Who else is having a brat summer?

Aside from Harris, other surprising figures are leaning into the cultural phenomenon. Queensland Premier Steven Miles took to TikTok on Monday night, filming green objects in a bus depot, including the green Queensland buses.

“Our Queensland made buses were giving brat today,” read the text overlay in Miles’ video, while Charli’s 360 played in the background.

Are politicians ruining brat?

Part of the beauty of online trends are they are usually apolitical. It’s generally lighthearted content devoid of any kind of financial or political motivation. As soon as larger entities become involved, the trend arguably loses its neutrality and quickly becomes cringe-worthy.

Credit: Matt Golding

Miles’ reference to brat on TikTok is clearly a bid for support from younger Australian voters and driven directly by him.

Harris though is capitalising on brat, but she did not initiate the association. Charli publicly endorsed her, thereby inviting the vice president into the brat club and signalling to younger fans that she’s worthy of the lifestyle.

But it requires fine balance. If Harris’ team drags the joke on for too long, it will become tiresome. After all, online trends are nothing if not fleeting.

Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday.